Pinewood finally gets expansion go-ahead

It has taken seven years, a major rethink and several planning applications, all in the face of objections from local residents and South Bucks District Council (SBDC), but Pinewood studios has at last got permission to move on with its plans for a film production and postproduction centre "of the future".

The Pinewood Studios Development Framework (PSDF) was given the green light by the secretary of state for communities and local government, Eric Pickles. The Pinewood group had appealed to his department against SBDC's decision to reject the application, which will effectively double its capacity over the next 15 years.

The idea of expanding the studio site was originally presented in 2007 as Project Pinewood. This proposed a campus of full-size exterior film sets, including a canal and a castle, and a residential development, as well as sound stages, postproduction facilities and supporting offices. This was strongly opposed by local residents, who argued that the development would reduce the amount of greenbelt land in the area and add to the urban sprawl from London.

SBDC rejected the proposal for Project Pinewood but the studio group reworked the application, removing the more ambitious elements and adding plans for affordable housing. This was also rejected, as was another submission made in February 2013 under the PSDF name. This proposal to add 100,000 square metres of new studios, stages, streetscapes, workshops and support premises to the existing Pinewood site was also rejected by SBDC, but Pinewood lodged an appeal with the government that has now proved successful.

Commenting on the decision, Ivan Dunleavy, chief executive of Pinewood Shepperton, said, "Our project builds on the success of the government's policy for the creative industries and addresses the shortage of stage space in the UK. As a result of [the] green light from the secretary of state, thousands of much needed new jobs will be created in this growing sector of the economy. We want to begin construction as soon as possible."

While Pinewood says the £200 million development will secure growth to deal with growing demand in film and TV production and provide local jobs, SBDC, which had called the plans "inappropriate", said it was "disappointed" by the decision. The website of the Stop Project Pinewood campaign relayed the news with "sadness and frustration", saying the only comfort was that, apparently, the decision had been "very close".

Pinewood has invested in its existing facilities recently, including the first Dolby Atmos theatre in the UK. A company spokeswoman said it was too early to discuss any plans for how the audio department might be further expanded as part of PSDF.

The Pinewood Shepperton studios group is to create a new film and television facility in the US. Pinewood Atlanta will be located in Georgia and the first phase of the project will include film stages and associated facilities, with the possibility of audio post-production in the future.

South Buckinghamshire District Council has refused Pinewood Studio's £200m planning application for a 100,000sqm increase in studio capacity on greenbelt land. Pinewood is expected to appeal the decision.

Pinewood Studios is revitalising its television production facilities, which are set to be re-launched in August featuring a new "super gallery" with a Calrec Audio Artemis Beam digital mixing console, writes Kevin Hilton.

Pinewood Studios opened a new office in Los Angeles in a busy month, which has also seen Dennis Weinreich leave the company and two of its audio mixers nominated for a BAFTA Award, writes Kevin Hilton.

The Peel Group, owners of MediaCityUK, has taken a majority shareholding in Pinewood Shepperton, writes Kevin Hilton. Peel Acquisitions (Pegasus), the company formed to oversee buying the film and TV studios group, has bought shares that give its parent company a 71.1 percent stake in Pinewood.

The owner of MediaCityUK has made a £96.1 million bid to take total control of the Pinewood Studios group, writes Kevin Hilton. Majority shareholder Peel Group is keen to own Pinewood, Shepperton and Teddington studios outright.